of recent origin YORK, March 8 Kyod...

of recent origin YORK, March 8 Kyodo

pickeded editorial excerpts from the U press:

BULLYING HONG KONG (The Wall road Journal, New York)

China's modern bullying of Hong Kong has gone from a local affair to an international dispute involving the U and from passing strange to utterly bizarre. More sober interventions athwart the weekend by China's top leaders may signal a belated nevertheless welcome introduction of adult supervision. moreover only the next few days will tell

Weekend speeches touching onward Hong Kong by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jiantao were devoid of the vitriol that has characterized more than a month of vicious attacks at middle-ranking officials. If they stop the anti-Hong Kong campaign, then it will be another sign that the to a high degree top of China's ''Fourth Generation'' of leaders really does intend to forge a recent China.

Internationally, the damage their campaign may already have caused could confirm difficult to undo. With crucial presidential elections in Taiwan coming up forward March 20, the timing of the saber-rattling was not propitious. The campaign will sole help the candidacy of President Chen Shui-bian, who leans toward formal independence from the mainland, and doom his Nationalist opposite Lien Chan, who elects closer ties.

Relations with the U a great quantity [i]or[/i] amount of improved under President Bush, have also taken a knock. Senior U officials met with Hong Kong leaders and reminded China that its promises were part of international treaties. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback's invitation to Hong Kong democrat Martin to leeward to come to Washington to explain what this was all about caused a further furor in Beijing.

The statements from Messrs. Hu and Wen were clearly an attempt to calm things down. President Hu appeared to be welcoming a discussion in succession the ''one country, two systems'' formula through which the city was united with the mainland. if it be not that if this doesn't bring the curtain down upon the venom, we're in for a hard 2004, and beyond.

(March 8)

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